DESCRIPTION: The objective of this research is to develop a sustained release chemotherapeutic product for the intratumoral treatment of head and neck cancer. The treatment will consist of cisplatin incorporated into a solution of biodegradable polymer in a biocompatible solvent. This liquid polymer solution when injected into tissue coagulates to form a solid implant for sustained release of the drug. It is anticipated that the sustained release of cisplatin within the tumor mass will provide high local concentrations of the drug with a resultant decrease in tumor growth. The proposed research involves the evaluation of three different polymer formulations for in vitro and in vivo release of cisplatin. These three formulations will then be injected into SCID mice containing head and neck tumors to determine the maximum tolerated dosage and the efficacy of each formulation in reducing tumor growth rate. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATION: NOT AVAILABLE